Then and Now

Remember how exciting it was on the fourth of July? I do, and it was so much better then now.

The air is hot at the beginning of July. Children are always excited for the end of the day. The pool is uneasy as the sun slowly sets. The water drips from salty hair as we all run to the adults. We jump and squirm until we are given what we want. A skinny stick is all that’s needed to amuse our young minds. As each of us has our sparkler lit we quickly run and play before our time is up. The adults set up their own amusement while the children are busy. All the attention is changed as the first explosion is heard. I see my dad laughing after lighting it too close to my mom. All is good while the night gets later. At roughly nine, we all go to the roof. We all sit patiently while waiting for the show. Then the first one goes off. We all see the colored embers light up the sky and soon the loud explosion follows. Screams and claps are heard down the street. The loudness of the area slowly quiets as the show ends, only to be back the next year.

The air is humid at the beginning or July. The children sit in their homes not bothering with the sun. The pool is steady and no water is spilt. I sit outside all day in the hot sun. As the sun sets, nobody comes out with a box of explosions or even one sparkler. The adults sit around and drink talking amongst themselves. The sky turns darker as I persuade everyone to get on the roof. The fireworks seem less amusing and the heat stings my face. The streets are quiet and only three families are seen. As the show ends, nothing has changed and will only come again next year.

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